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The ears of African elephants can grow six feet (1.82 m) and 4 feet (1.21 m) wide. They resemble the shape of the African continent.
Why do African elephants have large ears?
African elephants have large ears, shaped much like the continent of Africa itself. The larger surface area of their ears helps to keep African elephants cool in the blazing African sun. Asian elephants have less to worry about heat-wise, as they tend to live in cool jungle areas, so their ears are smaller.
What are 5 interesting facts about elephants?
Top 10 facts about elephants They’re the world’s largest land animal. You can tell the two species apart by their ears. Their trunks have mad skills. Their tusks are actually teeth. They’ve got thick skin. Elephants are constantly eating. They communicate through vibrations. Calves can stand within 20 minutes of birth.
Why are elephants afraid of mice?
According to some, elephants are afraid of mice, because they fear that mice will crawl up their trunks. This could cause irritation and blockage, making it hard for elephants to breathe. They say it’s just as likely that the elephant was merely surprised by the mouse—not afraid of it.
Why do elephants have long noses?
One of the main functions of the elephant’s trunk is for feeding and drinking. The long trunk alleviates this by allowing the elephant to graze the ground or trees for food without so much as moving their head at all. They can also suck up and squirt almost 14 litres of water into their mouths.
Why do elephants Lift one leg?
“If they’re listening for an airborne signal, they hold their ears out — it looks like a satellite dish,” said O’Connell-Rodwell, who led the study. “When they’re listening to the ground, their ears remain flat at their side. They put their weight on the front feet and sometimes lift one foot off the ground.”Jun 2, 2007.
Why are elephants afraid of bees?
The scientists realized that if elephants could sense the alarm pheromones from honeybees, they’d likely keep their distance from that area. The scientists think elephants are afraid of bees because they dislike being stung in the soft tissue that’s present inside their trunks and around their eyes.
What are baby elephants called?
A baby elephant is called a calf. Calves stay close to their mothers. They drink their mother’s milk for at least two years.
Are elephants nice to humans?
Yes, elephants can be friendly to humans if they grow up with people in their environment. They can also be nice if they are in captivity, where they have a lot of interactions with people. They are less likely to be aggressive in such situations compared to those that are used to the wild.
Do elephants feel pain when their tusks are cut off?
Elephants feel an immense amount of pain if someone cuts off their tusks. Tusks are deeply rooted incisors with nerve endings. When severed, those nerve endings are exposed and can easily become infected, leading to death.
Can elephants jump?
Despite what you may have seen in your Saturday morning cartoons, elephants can’t jump, according to a video by Smithsonian. Unlike most mammals, the bones in elephant legs are all pointed downwards, which means they don’t have the “spring” required to push off the ground. Jan 27, 2016.
Do elephants smell better than dogs?
Elephants have a keen nose. They have more smell receptors than any mammal – including dogs – and can sniff out food that is several miles away. A new study tests their ability to distinguish between similar smelling plants.
Do elephants stink?
Big bull elephants — aka African elephants — aren’t stink bombs year-round. However, for a few weeks around mating season, the animal’s testosterone levels spike 60 percent, and the accompanying smell could clear a city neighborhood.
Do elephants have a tongue?
Elephants have large tongues which are essentially muscles. The trunk is used to place food into the mouth and the tongue pulls the food in towards the throat. All mammalian tongues are muscles!.
Do elephants really like peanuts?
What’s not well known is that elephants don’t really eat peanuts. While the combination of dark chocolate and salted peanuts can’t miss, elephants themselves tend to go for something a little lighter.
Do elephants have funerals?
Elephants live in close-knit social groups and can live for 70 years, forming strong bonds and memories together over the years. When an elephant in the herd dies, the entire herd mourns its death. Apart from grief, other emotions can also be observed at an elephant funeral, ranging from denial to sympathy.
Do elephants have tails?
Grazing animals such as elephants, zebras and giraffes have long, thin tails with a tuft of hair on the end. These tails function like built-in fly swatters that enable the animals to protect themselves from biting insects.
Can a bee sting an elephant?
Elephants are afraid of bees. Of course a bee’s stinger can’t penetrate the thick hide of an elephant. But when bees swarm — and African bees swarm aggressively — hundreds of bees might sting an elephant in its most sensitive areas, the trunk, mouth and eyes. And they hurt.
Why elephants throw mud on their backs?
Elephants gather sand and mud with their trunks and throw it onto their bodies, providing sun protection and repelling bugs. Sand helps dry and warm their skin in the cooler months, while mud helps to keep them cool in the hotter months.
Are elephants afraid of lions?
Elephants may be the biggest of all creatures found on land, but believe it or not, even they can react defensively around large predators. For example, a herd of elephants walking through the African savanna will trumpet and chase away a pride of lions that they encounter.
How big is an elephant at birth?
On average, newborn calves stand about 1 m (3 ft.) high and weigh 120 kg (264 lb.) at birth. Newborn male African elephants may weigh up to 165 kg (364 lb.).
What is giraffe baby called?
A baby giraffe is called a calf. Also note, that while people often refer to a tower of giraffe or a journey of giraffe (when they are walking), scientifically, we call it a herd of giraffe.
How long is a elephant pregnant?
Elephant/Gestation period.
